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Blazer Bash Tournament A Smashing Success
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Members of the Tri-Valley Blazers baseball team captured second place in the first 'Blazer Bash' wood bat tournament, staged earlier this month with games at Escalon and Riverbank fields.

For the Blazers, it was a 3-1-1 showing in the two-day tournament, starting off with a 1-1 tie against the Oroville Olives.

Oroville scored one run in the fifth, the Blazers got even in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. But it was declared a tie after a brief extra inning run.

They then went up against the Modesto Pirates and shut out the competition, 2-0.

Peter Krumeich reached on an error and K.J. Vandagriff walked, with Brian Lynn putting down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up in the sixth inning for the Blazers. An RBI single followed to give the Blazers a 1-0 lead and Vandagriff drove in a run with an RBI single in the seventh for the 2-0 final. Krumeich also had a single in the game.

On the strength of a two-run fourth inning in their Saturday finale, the Blazers defeated the Santa Rosa Connie Mack team by a 2-0 score. Escalon players figuring in to the win were Vandagriff, with a single and a run scored and Lynn, with an RBI ground out.

In Sunday action, the Blazers faced off in the championship round with the River City Wildcats and took a 4-2 decision. Lynn scored a run and Vandagriff added a hit in the victory.

That put the host Blazers in the title game against Santa Rosa but this time, the Connie Mack squad had the upper hand and took down the Blazers, 5-2. Santa Rosa claimed the championship trophy, the Blazers had to settle for runner-up status.

Krumeich was pressed into emergency service on the pitching mound and went three innings, allowing three runs. He also scored a run for the Blazers after getting on base in the sixth inning.

The second place finish was satisfying enough for coach Mark Mangini, who said he knew the Santa Rosa squad would be a tough opponent.

Along with the second place showing, the Blazers' K.J. Vandagriff won the home run derby, knocking two balls out of the park.